Your Christmas Tree Could Be Crawling With 25,000 Bugs — But Don’t Panic

There are plenty of Christmasy creatures so adorable you'd gladly invite them into your home. Be honest, if you saw a reindeer in your yard, you'd definitely squeal with exciting and start plotting some way to lure it inside for cuddles. Unfortunately, the holiday critters you probably don't want in your home are the ones that are way more likely to find their way in. According to Safer Brand Blog, there could be up to 25,000 bugs in a single Christmas tree. Pretty gross, right? Before you get too freaked out, the types of insects most commonly found on the evergreen trees we bring into our homes during the holiday season don't usually pose a big threat to humans. These bugs include aphids, spiders and mites, adelgids, pine needle scale, sawfly, praying mantises, and bark beetles. Safer Brand also reports that most Christmas tree farms take precautions to minimize the number of pests in their trees before they sell them to you. Plus, the average home’s environment is not suitable for these bugs, so most of them will dry out and die before too long, anyway. If you're still a little repulsed but definitely want a real tree in your home this Christmas, check out Safer Brand's list of steps to get rid of the yuletide pests.